PART I
Charlotte and Chancy were sitting, talking and enjoying cups of hot chocolate in Sammy’s Family Restaurant across from the Hoo Doo Motel. The inside of the restaurant was small, and quaint with light green and coral decorations and paint. Not many people were there, although it was busy for a monday morning. Oldies from the 50’s played over the speakers. The door dinged as an old gray haired woman entered. The lady was dressed in a green pair of pants and a charcoal jacket.
Charlotte turned to Chancy, “She has really ugly boots.” Both girls burst out laughing. A little girl sitting behind them giggled at their laughter. She was sitting with her grandfather and looked to be about three.
The old lady left. Chancy noticed a man in his twenties give a worried look as she exited. Then the man went back to reading his paper. Charlotte must have noticed it too, because she gave Chancy a questioning look.
The girls sat and talked a little while longer. The restaurant slowly emptied. It became very quiet. THe only sounds that could be heard were the quite chatter of customers and the laughter of the little girl. All of a sudden, a girl with waist length, blonde hair came running through the doors. She looked scared.
“c...c...can somone...l...lock these doors” she stuttered, out of breath.
“why dear? What’s the matter?” the waitress behind the counter asked.
“Just lock the door. Please” The girl pleaded.
“Dear, I can’t just lock it without a reason. Customers need to get in” the waitress pressed her lips together and crossed her arms as if waiting for an answer.
The blonde girl looked as if she was about to cry. “Someone’s after me” she said, her voice cracked. The girls shoulders started to shake and she started to cry. “Please, just lock the doors” she said, trying to plead with the waitress.
“Look, I’m sure no one will get you in here. You’re safe. Just have a seat and calm down. I’ll bring you something to drink” The waitress persisted.
“No. Please. Just listen to me!” The girl was beginning to get frustrated.
“Just sit down and I’ll bring you a drink. On the house” The waitress was getting annoyed.
“Listen Betty,” the girl said reading the waitress’ name tag “I don’t want a god damn drink. All I want is for you to LOCK THE DOOR” she shouted.
Just then a short person, dressed in all black with a thick jacket, with a hood covering their face entered through the side door. The blonde girl’s expression grew panicked. Tears streamed down her face. The little three year old girl looked worried as well. The blonde girl backed up, hitting a chair, she sat down. The girl started to shake, looking petrified she whispered, “get it over with.” Tears streamed down her face. “Just hurry.” With that, the person in black pulled out a knife and plunged it into the blonde girls back. The restaurant was completely silent. The murderer pulled his knife from the girls back and exited.
The waitress behind the counter picked up the phone. THe little girl hovered under her table, hiding her face in her grandfather’s pant leg. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. The blonde girls body crumpled to the ground. Her long blonde hair was soaked in blood. Chancy stood, shaking, and walked over to the body. She bent down to check the pulse.
“She’s dead” She said, her voice choking. The restaurant was completely silent. The only sound was from the speakers. Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups was playing. Chancy looked around. The little girls head was still buried in the pant leg. An old lady carried an empty mug to the front. The cash register beeped, change clinked as the lady bought another cup and made her way back to her table. Chancy looked up at Charlotte who was sitting at their table. She had a look of complete horror and fear on her face. Chancy got up and walked back to her table. Sirens blared outside as a police car and an ambulance pulled into the parking lot.
Chancy took a look around. Something was missing. She couldn’t figure out what, but something wasn’t there that had been before the murder. Just then, she noticed that the twenty year old - that had looked so paranoid when the old lady left - was gone. She hadn’t even noticed that he hadn’t been there. ‘When did he leave’ she wondered to herself.
The paramedics took the girl on the black covered stretcher outside. They slowly drove away. There was no need to go fast. She was dead. The police picked up everything that could be collected. Charlotte watched him. He picked up a letter in an envelope, and a small wooden disc off the floor. ‘Where had they come from,’ Charlotte wondered. After the police questioned them, Chancy and Charlotte left.
PART II
“Remind me never to go there again” Chancy said to Charlotte.
“Remind me never to vacation in this town again” Charlotte replied. The two girls crossed the street to the Hoo Doo Motel where they were staying. Walking down the hall to their room, they noticed that all the doors were open and the Televisions were on.
“Weird” Chancy stated. Two kids, a boy and a girl, both looked bout eight, were playing in the hall. The boy looked up.
“Mommy and Daddy left with the other people but the told me and Lizzy to stay here” He said to Charlotte and Chancy.
“Where did they go?” Chancy asked.
“With the man in black” the little girl said quietly, looking at the floor. Then she looked up, her huge green eyes bored into Chancy’s. Charlotte and Chancy exchanged confused glances.
“There was 12 other people” said the boy. “I counted them”
“very good” replied Chancy. “We have to go now. We’ll see you later” She grabbed Charlotte’s hand and dragged her down the hall. Reaching into her pocket she took out her room key and shoved it toward the lock, but the door was open. “How the hell?” she muttered. ‘Oh well’ she thought. There was no time to worry about that now. Something weird was going on in this town, and they had to try and get to the bottom of it.
“Maybe we forgot to lock it” Charlotte stated.
“Maybe” Chancy echoed. But she highly doubted it.
“What the heck is going on?” Chancy shouted, her voice shaking. “First the murder across the street and now this. I don’t get it!”
“I don’t know Chance, but do you really think it’s a good idea to leave those kids alone in the hall like that?” Charlotte questioned.
“Probably not” Chancy said as she crossed to the door. She opened the door. Both kids were still there. “Why don’t you kids come in here with us while your parents are out?” she asked the kids. The two of them exchanged glances and quickly stood up. Holding hands, they nervously entered the room. Chancy closed the door behind them. Charlotte turned on the TV as the little boy and girl took a seat on one of the beds. Chancy looked at them.
“My name is Chancy and this is my friend Charlotte.” She introduced to the kids.
“I’m Tommy and this is my sister Lizzy.” The little boy piped up
“How old are you guys?” Charlotte asked
“I’m eight and Lizzy is six” Tommy again answered for both of them.
“When all of the adults left, did you notice anything strange, besides the man in black?” Chancy asked, figuring she should start slow, since the children were so young. She hated to question them, but she needed to know answers, and they seemed to be the only witnesses.
“The man knocked on everyone’s door and told them to come in the hall. Then he told them he needed them to come with him somewhere.” Tommy excitedly answered Chancy’s question.
“Is the everything?” Charlotte asked. Tommy nodded. “Could you see the man’s face?” Charlotte pressed.
Tommy shook his head. “Nope, he had a hood on” Tommy seemed very impressed with himself to be able to answer Charlotte and Chancy’s questions.
“And that’s everything?” Chancy repeated Charlotte’s question. Just then, Lizzy stuck out her hand. Lying in the middle of her open palm was a small wooden disc.
“Oh yea!” Tommy piped up. “The man dropped that on his way out. And this...” he said pulling out a wrinkled envelope from his overall’s picket and thrusting it toward Chancy. Inside was a small piece of paper.
“Sammy’s family restaurant
9:00 am”
Chancy handed the paper to Charlotte, who read it and then slipped it into her pocket.
“This just in” a voice boomed on the television. “Sandy Mooreside has been reported missing, she was last seen exiting her house at 8:00 am this morning. If anyone knows any information leading to her whereabouts, please notify the police” the reporter stated. A picture of the blonde girl from the restaurant flashed on the screen.
“What the hell is wrong with this town?” Chancy shouted. “The police know damn well where she is. They have her!”
